


The Knight in the White T-Shirt

by CarlyCo



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: Car Accidents, F/M, First Time, Haiti, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-02
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-25 10:58:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/952274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarlyCo/pseuds/CarlyCo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny has been able to deny his feelings for Mindy but all of that changes when a call from Haiti cuts out. He finds out just what lengths he will go to for the woman he loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Danny impatiently stood at the curb outside of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport. He had a suitcase in each hand as he waited for a cab to come pick him up.

He felt insane for even being here, but Mindy called him and sounded distraught. The call cut out before Danny could get an understanding of the details. For 24 hours after that, he called Mindy’s cell phone almost non-stop but it always went to voicemail.

When he couldn’t take the uncertainty anymore he asked Jeremy to cover his patients, booked a flight to Port-au-Prince, and packed his bags.

It was now roughly 48 hours since the ill-fated call from Mindy. All Danny had was an address of the hotel Mindy checked into two weeks ago after she split up with Casey.

The couple broke up after only a month together in Haiti. It seemed living in close quarters had been too much for the fragile relationship. Mindy admitted that their relationship was doomed long before she ever boarded the plane to the island nation.

Danny had been relieved to hear of the break up. Although, he maintained sympathy and indifference while talking to Mindy. He assumed that she would be on the next flight back home.

However, she was still resolved to fulfill her commitment to provide medical services for the duration of the trip. Mindy just refused to do it while living in a ramshackle tent with a guy she now hated.

Danny wanted Mindy back home but he had never been more proud of her. She wasn’t exactly known for seeing things through so this was huge for her.

Everything was going fine until the call. That damn call. Mindy called him in the middle of the night. He could hear the panic in her voice as she described what was obviously a broken arm she received in a car accident. Mindy was disoriented and confused during the call and Danny was almost positive that she sustained a concussion as well.

He was trying to get Mindy to give him more information about the crash and her location when the call dropped. Danny had no clue what sort of shape Mindy might be in when he found her but he was determined to do just that.

Finally, a cab pulled to a stop in front of the curb and Danny climbed into the back seat. He said, “Uh, hi. I’m going to the Royal Oasis.”

The driver nodded at him as another traveler slid into the cab with Danny.

He tried not to become annoyed. Jeremy had warned him about how taxi cabs worked in Haiti. The driver would pick up several fares and drop everyone off in the order in which the car passed their stops.

It wasn’t that he particularly minded sharing the cab with another person. He rode the subway his entire life. He was used to sitting beside people he had no interest in getting to know. However, he was anxious to make it to the hotel. He needed to start his search for Mindy.

As the car pulled away from the curb he realized that the new passenger was attempting to speak to him. He turned to look at the tourist and offered a tense smile that came off more as a grimace.

He asked, “Did you say something?”

The man smiled broadly and said, “My name is Horace! I thought you were another American. I was worried I wouldn’t see any Americans here!”

Danny gave the man an odd look. You went to another country to see the people in that country. He resisted the urge to argue with the man and said, “Small world, huh? My name is Danny.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Danny. I’m from Peoria, Illinois. Where are you from?”

Danny wanted to groan in protest. This was all Mindy’s fault. She should have never agreed to go on this stupid trip with Casey. If she wanted to provide medical services to impoverished people she could volunteer at a clinic in Harlem. She could do a lot of good there and at the end of the day she could go home to her own apartment.

Danny said, “I’m from New York.”

“I’ve always wanted to go there! It being the Big Apple and all. I heard there are a million different places to get pizza and I want to try them all,” said Horace.

Danny chuckled dryly and stared out the window intensely as if he knew where they were going. He hated being out of his comfort zone and you didn’t get much more out of his comfort zone than being in a foreign country. He could hear Horace yammering about his journey that included several layovers but it was easy enough to tune out the annoying voice.

He thought about the last time he saw Mindy. He couldn’t believe that she chopped off all her hair. He hated it and loved it almost simultaneously. Danny would never tell Mindy this but he admired her tenacity and openness. She was everything he wasn’t. It probably had something to do with vast difference in childhoods but he also suspected that Mindy hadn’t really had her heart broken by someone she truly loved.

She jumped into relationships so fast that she never had the opportunity to establish a deep bond with anyone. Danny was almost certain that if he lined up each of her ex-boyfriends that they would be clueless about the real Mindy. The ones that actually took the time to get to know her only knew the façade she put up in relationships.

Danny knew the real Mindy and she drove him crazy, but he was starting to realize that he liked it. The voluptuous doctor forced him out of his comfort zone and he was usually happier because of it.

He snapped out of his thoughts as the cab lurched to a stop. Danny grinned seeing that they were at the hotel. He fished the money out of his pocket for the fare and handed it over to the driver.

He nodded at the other passenger, “Have a nice trip, Horace.”

The younger man look confused and said, “I’m staying here as well. I told you that when I first got into the cab.”

Danny smiled apologetically and said, “I must have misunderstood you.”

He walked swiftly into the hotel leaving Horace to pay his share of their cab fare.

Danny’s eyes scanned the lobby for an elevator and made a beeline for it. Mindy was on the 6th floor in suite 638.

He slipped between the doors before they could close and mashed the button for the 6th floor. There were a few other people in the elevator but no one seemed interested in speaking and he was grateful for that.

One by one the other people exited the elevator on their floors. Danny wasn’t surprised at his luck that the elevator had to stop on every floor on its way to his destination. It was like a cruel joke. He was this close to finding Mindy and everything was slowing him down.

As soon as the elevator doors opened onto the 6th floor he walked off the elevator and looked at the sign on the wall. It had helpful arrows indicating which direction rooms 620-640 were in.

Danny rounded the corner and counted down each door until he stood in front of 638. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door with some urgency.

 

 

  


	2. Long Winding Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When panic sets in there is only one person Mindy would think to call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a flashback of the accident. I hope everyone enjoys it. Still no beta. All mistakes belong to me.

_Dr. Mindy Lahiri walked out of the village clinic she had worked at for the last six weeks with a jacket over her head. For the sixth day in a row, they were being deluged with heavy rain. However, the rains didn’t stop the residents of nearby villages from coming in for medical attention. In the twelve-hour shift Mindy worked, she was certain that she had treated more patients than most ER doctors in a night. Some people came in suffering from general maladies but far more had serious conditions that had been left untreated for quite some time._

_Mindy was there because she was an obstetrician/gynecologist. However, when the clinic was extremely busy she lent a hand wherever it was needed. The motto of the clinic was: ‘All hands on deck’. Mindy started to really enjoy the fast pace nature of the clinic._

_Just as she thought the fatigue might set in her spirits were lifted by the sight of the shuttle vans heading toward the clinic. During her stay, Mindy found that many of the medical personnel staffing the clinic were staying in Port-au-Prince. In particular, there was a medium sized contingent residing at an extended stay hotel._

_After witnessing Mindy’s very public break up with her stupid boyfriend, Casey, the senior doctor harangued the manager of the hotel to get Mindy included in the group discount. He was a kindly old doctor that reminded her of Dr. Shulman._

_When the two shuttle vans came to a stop in front of the clinic Mindy got in line to get in the second one. The hour-long ride back to Port-au-Prince was long, bumpy, and arduous but in the end she got to sleep in a bed with clean sheets and have a hot shower. More importantly, she had not seen Casey’s stupid face since the break up._

_Mindy sat in the back of the van because there was more space. It was a 15-passenger van but they only ever tried to put in 13 people. That always left Mindy in the backseat with one other person and she liked it that way._

_The normally long ride was made longer by the stormy conditions. Hard rain pelted the white van and made it hard for the driver to see the poorly maintained roadway. The headlights of the van were the only source of illumination. There were no streetlights and the storm clouds were blocking out the little light the moon would have provided. The road into the city wound around a picturesque mountainous landscape. Usually, Mindy enjoyed the view but tonight it was just ominous._

_The first indication that something was wrong was the van sliding across the slick roadway. The road into Port-au-Prince was paved but it had seen a lot of wear and tear since the earthquake. Several days of heavy rains didn’t really improve the conditions._

_However, the driver was a longtime resident of Haiti and knew well enough how to navigate the treacherous roads. He reduced his speed significantly allowing the other shuttle van to leave them behind. It didn’t matter if they got there 30 minutes later as long as they made it there safely._

_She put in her ear buds, started listening to her Beyonce playlist, and closed her eyes. There was no shame in falling asleep on the way home. Everyone did it and it was safer than when she dozed off on the subway back home. Danny was always warning her that she was going to get robbed or worse._

_Mindy smiled thinking about Danny. He had been supportive after her break up with Casey. He even said that he was proud of her for staying in Haiti to finish out the trip. For some reason his approval meant something to her. Normally, Danny treated her as if she was tedious and superficial. It was nice to be viewed in a different light. She wouldn’t be staying for the whole year but she was staying for 3 months. That was more than she could have ever imagined when she first set out on the trip. A soft smile settled on her lips as she drifted to sleep._

_Six songs into Mindy’s playlist she was abruptly awakened by a heavy body violently slamming her into the side of the van. She hardly had time to regain her bearings as she felt the vehicle spin out of control._

_The driver tried turning into the skid and then pumping the brakes but they were sopping wet from riding through the rain soaked roads._

_Mindy yanked out the ear buds and heard the other occupants in the van screaming as they careened off the side of the road. The van finally came to a stop on its roof at the bottom of a deep roadside ditch._

_Sometime later Mindy came to.  She assumed that at some point during the accident she’d lost consciousness. It was probably the point where she whacked her head against the window. She could feel wetness seeping down her face. She could only assume it was blood. Although with her window being shattered from the force of the crash it was just as likely rain pouring in._

_Her uncoordinated fingers fumbled with her seatbelt trying to free herself from the vehicle. Mindy didn’t think about the fact that she would drop like a stone onto the roof of the van until she landed awkwardly on someone else. She screamed in pain as she tried to move her arm. The person beneath her didn’t make a sound and Mindy became concerned that there were casualties._

_She could smell gasoline and acrid smoke wafting through the interior of the van. It was making it that much more difficult to find a way out._

_“Can anyone hear me?” Mindy called out, she coughed harshly._

_A doctor she only knew in passing stuck his head into the shattered window and said, “Give me your hand. Do you think you can walk?”_

_Mindy grabbed the older man’s hand and allowed him to pull her out of the van. She stumbled a little feeling light headed from the crash and the heavy black smoke billowing from the van._

_He steered her away from the wreckage and said, “You should sit down before you collapse. I need to go help more people. I’ll make sure someone gets a look at you soon.”_

_“I landed on someone and they didn’t say anything…”_

_The doctor nodded grimly and returned to the van._

_Mindy watched him return to the overturned vehicle. She could see a few other people moving around and several more sitting in the ditch with various injuries._

_Mindy watched in awe as one by one people were pulled from the van. She had no idea if everyone was okay or even where they were in relation to Port-au-Prince. The other van would be miles away from them by now._

_In a moment of sheer panic Mindy searched the pockets of her scrubs for her phone. She nearly cried in relief when she found it but the screen was cracked, no doubt from the impact of the crash. She scrolled through her contacts and called Danny. She wasn’t sure why but at the moment she needed comfort and he was the first person that came to mind._

_Mindy cradled her arm against her chest gingerly and waited for Danny to pick up._

_“Hello?”_

_“Danny! Danny, it’s me, Mindy!”_

_Danny sat up in the bed stiff as a board. There was something frantic in the sound of her voice and it made his heart beat a mile a minute._

_“Min, what’s wrong?” asked Danny._

_“We were in an accident. A really bad accident and the van is on fire I think. There’s a lot of smoke but I don’t see any flames.”_

_Danny scrubbed at his face feeling his own anxiety building but he kept his voice calm for Mindy. She didn’t need him freaking out._

_“It’s going to be okay, Min. Are you hurt?”_

_“My arm is stiff and in a lot of pain. I can’t move it. My shoulder is killing me and my head hurts so bad. What am I going to do? Danny, I’m scared. I just want to come home. I don’t know what I’m doing here. I need you Danny. You always know what to do. You’re always there when I make stupid mistakes. And when my stupid boyfriends treat me bad. And when my stupid boyfriends have other girlfriends. And when I have to go see stupid boyfriends in rehab. And when there’s turbulence on the plane. I wish you were here. If you were here you would know what to do.”_

_Danny felt his heart tighten in response to what Mindy was saying. She was wandering off the point more than normal. Her speech was starting to slur a little so he could only surmise that she had a concussion._

_“Mindy, I need you to focus and tell me where you are.”_

_He waited for an answer but then heard a beep alerting him to the fact the call was disconnected._

_He called Mindy’s phone right back but he was sent to voicemail._

_“You’ve reached Dr. Mindy Lahiri. I’m unavailable to take your call right now. If this is an emergency, please call 911. For non-emergency cases, please call Shulman & Associates at 212-555-5309. For all other calls please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Have a great day!”_

_Danny growled in frustration, “Mindy, when you get this call me back and let me know that you are okay!”_


	3. No Vacancies!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will there be fireworks when Danny finally sees Mindy?

As Mindy walked out of the bathroom, she heard an urgent knock at the door. She frowned deeply. It wasn’t like she knew many people in Haiti and all of the people she worked with at the clinic knew that she was more than a little banged up from the accident. The doctor just wanted to sleep the day away and figure out when she would be flying back home.

She put on a robe and opened the door. Her jaw went slack seeing Danny Castellano standing in front of her wearing a white t-shirt, dark denim jeans, and wild eyes. For a moment, she considered it might be a hallucination. She was still suffering from the after effects of a concussion and the doctors gave her some great pain medication.

He dropped his suitcases onto the floor beside his feet and gingerly pulled Mindy into his arms. More than anything Danny wanted to squeeze her but he was cognizant of her injuries and didn’t want to hurt her. He would have to settle for feeling her skin pressed against his. Danny took in a deep breath relishing the smell of her hair.

For several minutes, neither of them said a word. Mindy was confused about him being in Haiti but was enjoying having someone that cared about her there. It was a lonely feeling being hurt so badly and utterly alone. She was too stubborn to call Casey and tell him about the accident.

Danny finally pulled back from the hug and held Mindy’s face as he studied her intently. He could see small lacerations and bruises on her face. Without warning, he closed the small gap between them and crushed his lips against hers. The kiss was harsh and desperate but incredibly enjoyable.

Mindy felt certain there were fireworks shooting off somewhere nearby. There was a persistent thump in her ears that she couldn’t immediately identify. However, it quickly dawned on her that it was her heartbeat.

Danny’s lips connecting with hers was like kismet. Despite her confusion and injury, she clung to him like a lifeline and returned his kiss with just as much fervor.

Afterward Danny pulled back with an almost sheepish look. He had been thinking about doing just that since that last night he spent with Mindy at the hospital. He couldn’t help but think if he was honest with her then she wouldn’t be hurt right now.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

Mindy definitely wasn’t sorry about the kiss. It was, in a word, amazing. She would have never thought Danny of all people would possess that kind of passion or kissing prowess. There were a plethora of thoughts running through her mind but she did not know what to say about the kiss.

She asked, “What are you doing here, Danny?”

He smirked a little and asked, “Are you going to let me in, Min?”

She looked embarrassed but nodded. Mindy moved out of his way and watched as he carried in his suitcases and set them beside the door.

Danny closed and locked the door behind him. Afterward he turned around to get a good look at his surroundings. Mindy was staying in a modest hotel room that included a tiny kitchenette, a small sitting area, a bathroom, a balcony, and a bed that took up the lion’s share of the room.

He smiled seeing Mindy sitting against the headboard on the bed. She had ditched her robe while he was surveying her living arrangements. Mindy was wearing black cotton shorts and a matching tank top.

He could now clearly see the rest of the damage the accident caused. Mindy had cuts and bruises on her arms, her left thigh was wrapped in gauze, and her arm was in a cast.

She said, “You never said why you were here.”

Danny had a seat next to Mindy on the bed and laughed at himself.

“I thought something might have been seriously wrong with you after that crash. Your call ended and I tried you back a million times and you never answered. I called the hotel and the local hospitals. They wouldn’t tell me anything. I called your emergency contact, Gwen, and she couldn’t get in touch with you either. I thought…”

Mindy felt her heartbeat pick up when she realized just how worried Danny had been for her safety. He looked downright exhausted and he was sitting extra close to her. She tried to ignore how great he smelled. Mindy lunged at Danny and wrapped her good arm around him.

“I can’t believe you flew all the way here,” Mindy whispered against his neck.

He took in a sharp breath feeling Mindy’s lips inadvertently graze his pulse point. Danny pulled back to look into her dark brown eyes.

He said, “You called me that night and I heard how afraid and confused you were and I was too far away to help you. You said that you wished that I was here. When that call ended…”

“I’m so sorry, Danny. My phone stopped working and then I lost it. I don’t even remember being taken to the hospital here in Port-au-Prince. I think I might have passed out again. The doctor at the hospital said I had a concussion. There was glass imbedded in my scalp. I’m pretty sure my head broke the window in the van. I ended up fracturing my ulna. I am lucky my injuries are not more severe. I wasn’t released from the hospital until late last night. I came back here ate and passed out until about an hour ago. I was going to call you back. I didn’t think you would be so worried.”

Gently he pulled Mindy closer until their legs were touching. He took her uninjured hand and smiled.

“I’m just glad that you are okay, Min. I didn’t know what I was going to find here. I didn’t know if I would have to search all of the hospitals or what. I started with your hotel room hoping that you would be here,” Danny explained.

Mindy tried not to be carried away but this was definitely a romcom moment. He flew to a foreign country to find the woman he loved. She nearly laughed at that internal thought. Danny didn’t love her. They were just really great friends. Right?

“You’re always coming to my rescue. Thank you for coming here, Danny. It is nice to know that if I was in real trouble that you would be here looking for me,” said Mindy.

Danny gazed into her dark eyes and pledged, “Always.”

They stared into each others’ eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

“Oh, I know this is a lot to ask but can I take a shower? After I get a shower and change clothes, I can go see about getting a room of my own.  I have been on an airplane or in an airport for the last 12 hours. Since this was an emergency trip, I couldn’t be picky about the flight I booked. I ended up having a 5 hour layover in Miami,” said Danny.

“Dude, you flew to Haiti to rescue me. You can totally have a shower. You can have anything you want,” said Mindy.

Her eyes widened at the implications of that statement. She looked to Danny but his back was to her. He was already moving across the room to get clean clothes from his suitcase.

She was grateful that Danny didn’t pick up the undercurrent of that statement.

Danny rummaged through his suitcase ignoring the feeling in the pit of his stomach. Mindy saying he could have anything he wanted sent his mind to a million dirty places. He silently scolded himself for even thinking that. He was just glad that she hadn’t asked about that kiss at the door. Maybe she just thought he was happy she was alive.

After collecting everything, he would need from a shower he said, “My shower shouldn’t take long.”

“Okay, I’ll call the desk to ask about booking a room for you while you’re in the shower. That way you will be able to just go down to the desk and pick up the key.”

Danny brushed a hand over her shoulder and smiled, “Thanks, Min.”

“No problem.”

Mindy waited until she heard the water turn on in the bathroom. She picked up the phone and called the front desk.

“Good evening, my name is Mahalia. How may I help you?”

“Hi, this is Dr. Mindy Lahiri in room 638. I was wondering if you had any rooms available.”

Mindy listened closely as she heard the woman’s fingers flying over the keyboard.

“Currently, we have 15 vacant rooms.”

“Oh, you do.”

“Dr. Lahiri, is there something wrong with your room? We would be happy to move you to a room more to your liking.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. I just wanted to add an occupant to my room. I wasn’t sure if there was an additional charge for that,” Mindy replied.

“No, there is no additional charge. The original price for your room covers two adult occupants. Is there anything else you need help with?” asked Mahalia.

“Could you have housekeeping bring up more fresh towels tonight?”

“I will put in your order for fresh towels. Housekeeping should bring them to you shortly. Will that be all?”

“Yes that is all. Thank you for your help.”

Mindy hung up the phone and chewed her lip nervously. What was she even doing? Why did she want Danny to share her room and her bed?

“The kiss,” Mindy muttered aloud.

She got out of the bed and decided to keep herself busy by trying to cook dinner in her small kitchenette. It wasn’t much but having a refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and stovetop kept her from eating takeout all the time.

Mindy hadn’t eaten a real meal since she left the hospital. Last night she ate a bag of chips and called it a night. This afternoon she did the same so that she could take her pain medicine. It was time for real food.

She stood in front of the refrigerator and considered her options. Mindy would need to make enough dinner for two since Danny would be joining her.

Briefly, she wondered if making spaghetti for an Italian man would be some sort of breach of ethics. However, it was the only meal she had enough ingredients for two servings.

Mindy slowly moved around the tiny area assembling all of the items she would need. She was glad the kitchenette was small because in her condition she was moving a lot slower than she anticipated.

She started cutting vegetables and realized it was awkward because her other hand was injured. Everything was going to be a little more difficult with only one hand.

Mindy muttered, “Great.”

Until now that hadn’t really occurred to her.

Mindy was so involved in her attempt at cooking that she didn’t hear the shower turn off and Danny walk into the room.

“What are you doing?”

Mindy spun around and her breath was caught in her throat.

Danny was standing in front of her with a towel slung low on his hips. His body was still glistening from the shower. His wet hair was slicked to the back and he looked amazing.

For the first time Mindy noticed just how well built, Danny was for a doctor. Many of their colleagues let themselves go over the years. Danny’s arms were muscular and he had a six-pack. How did she miss that?

She sputtered, “I-I-I’m making dinner, Danny. What does it look like? Why are you in a towel? I thought you took your clothes into the bathroom.”

He laughed and said, “You are going to hurt yourself either with that knife or on the stove. I’ll cook dinner for you after I get dressed. And to answer your question I forgot my underwear when I grabbed my clothes. They are kind of important unless you want me to walk around commando.”

Danny steered Mindy out of the kitchenette and over to the bed.

“You sit down and relax. I’m going to finish getting dressed and then I’ll make dinner. Oh, did you call the front desk?” asked Danny.

He moved across the room and retrieved a pair of navy blue boxer briefs from his suitcase.

The material caught Mindy’s eye but she averted her gaze anywhere else.

“Uh, I called and they are booked solid. Sorry, Danny, it looks like you are going to have to share my room. I don’t mind though. I mean you came all this way to save me.”

Danny stopped moving and frowned. He didn’t like the idea of staying in Mindy’s room. He was going to have a hard time controlling himself.

He grunted slightly, “I’ll take the couch.”

Mindy said, “Don’t be stupid, Danny. That thing isn’t even comfortable to sit on. We are both adults. I think we can manage sleeping in the same bed for a couple of nights until we fly back home.”

He swallowed visibly and nodded, “You’re right. We’re both adults. There’s no reason we can’t sleep in the same bed. I am going to get dressed. Don’t move.”

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Guess Who?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindy and Danny need to have a serious conversation but an interruption might derail everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few mistakes that I have fixed if you see more let me know. :)

Danny walked into the hotel lobby with several bags dangling from his hands. He realized now that he’d went overboard at the market but Mindy had not eaten a good meal in days. Even before the accident, she wasn’t doing a good job of eating properly.

The doctor bought enough food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a couple days. They had not discussed their departure date but he assumed it would be after Mindy’s check-up with the doctor. After his shower, she told him about sustaining a hematoma and concussion during the crash. She wouldn’t be able to get on a plane for at least 48 more hours.

His eyes ran across the front desk on his way to the elevator and he decided to stop.

Mahalia smiled, “Good evening, are you a guest here at the Royal Oasis?”

“Sort of. I’m staying with a friend in Room 638. I know there aren’t any vacancies but I was hoping that you could let me know if that changes. My name is Dr. Daniel Castellano. You can just call Room 638 to get in touch with me.”

The young woman at the desk looked at Danny with confusion darkening her brown eyes.

She said, “Dr. Castellano, we have 15 vacant rooms. Would you like to check into one of them?”

Danny said, “I don’t understand. My friend called the front desk and she was told that the hotel was completely booked. Have you had some checkouts or cancellations?”

“No, we’ve had 15 vacancies since check-out time at noon today. Did you want a room?”

He stood there for several minutes in complete silence as he tried puzzle out what Mindy was playing at. Obviously, she lied to Danny but he didn’t understand why. Although he never really understood why Mindy did any of the elaborate and unnecessary things she did.

“Dr. Castellano?” asked Mahalia, she was trying to grab Danny’s attention because there were guests waiting behind him.

Danny snapped out of his thoughts and offered a tight smile.

He shook his head and said, “No, I don’t need a room. Thank you.”

Mahalia leaned over the desk and said, “I talked to Dr. Lahiri when she called the front desk. I told her that we had vacant rooms but she just asked me to have housekeeping send up fresh towels.”

Danny absently said, “Thanks.”

 He walked toward the elevator with a sense of purpose in his stride. He didn’t know what he was going to say to Mindy but he had to say something. His mind was racing about the possibilities. Maybe Mindy had feelings for him.

He quickly dismissed that idea as she was always calling him an old man and his surly disposition did nothing to improve her view of him. Mindy reached out for him when she needed comfort. Maybe she thought of him as an older brother.

Danny shuddered at that thought as he hit the button for the sixth floor. He definitely didn’t look at Mindy as a little sister. He had downright lurid thoughts about her on a regular basis but it was more than just a sexual attraction. Mindy made him stop taking himself so seriously all the time and she genuinely cared about him.

When the elevator stopped at the sixth floor, the doctor realized that his mouth had gone dry and his palms were sweaty. Danny hated that his anxiety had so many overt symptoms. Mindy would spot his pit stains a mile away. He only hoped that she would believe it was caused by the balmy tropical weather.

He walked around to Mindy’s room and set a handful of bags on the floor so that he could retrieve the keycard from his pocket.

As Danny walked into the room, he smirked slightly seeing Mindy asleep on the bed. It looked as if her pain medication was working just fine. She would be out for a little while but he would wake her up when dinner was ready.

He felt as though he was a man on death row getting a reprieve. For now, he did not have to face Mindy. He had time to think through his approach.

Danny took time to put away all of the groceries and then familiarize himself with the layout of the kitchenette. The space was small but it was well designed and stocked for an extended stay hotel.

He washed his hands and then started washing the fresh produce he picked up at the market. He was surprised by the selection offered but after seeing the clientele it was obvious that the store catered to ex-pats that lived in Port-au-Prince.

He hoped to get lost in the task of cooking dinner. Cooking was an act that always soothed Danny. It reminded him of the home cooked meals of his childhood. He didn’t have it easy growing up and his ill-fated marriage to Christina didn’t really help his outlook on life. It was no wonder he had turned bitter as he got older. Danny felt like a failure by his standards.

After his father took off Danny vowed that one day he would get married and have a family of his own. He would live his life proving that he was a better man than his father had ever been. The only problem with that was one day he walked in on Christina in bed with another man. His wife walked away from their relationship not him but still he wondered what he could have done to push her away.

Mindy was even more flighty and lively than Christina. He doubted that he could make her happy for the long haul. Eventually Mindy would want someone younger and more exciting. The rational part of his brain knew that he should march down to the front desk and book a separate room but the emotional part was unwilling to let Mindy go. He couldn’t just walk away until he knew if Mindy truly had feelings for him too.

Danny toiled in silence until his nona’s bolognese sauce was simmering on the stovetop. He had about three hours until it was ready.

After cleaning up in the kitchenette, he sat on the couch and frowned at the thin padding. Mindy was right that sleeping on the couch wasn’t an option. He would resemble an arthritic octogenarian after one night on the couch. Besides, he was intrigued by whatever scheme Mindy was formulating. For some reason she wanted him in her bed and he was determined to find out why.

Just then, his phone buzzed and snapped him out of his thoughts. Danny quickly read over the text message from Jeremy and felt a little guilty. He had been so excited to see Mindy that he forgot to send a message back home. Danny was the one to fly to Haiti but he wasn’t the only person concerned about Mindy’s wellbeing. Gwen was certain something was wrong when Mindy hadn’t posted any new pictures to Instagram or vlogged about her day at the clinic.

He quickly tapped out a message and sent it out to their colleagues and Gwen. Danny figured they could pass on the good news to anyone else that might want to know.

Danny smiled smelling the scent of the sauce wafting through the air he was hoping that the romantic dinner he had planned for Mindy would make her realize he was a viable option. He wasn’t flash like some of the guys she dated but he had substance.

Danny glanced down at his sweaty shirt and frowned. He wanted to look nice when Mindy woke up from her nap. You couldn’t charm a woman with sweat stains on your t-shirt. Danny looked through his bags for something else to where.

He shucked off his clothes and stuffed them in a bag before going to grab another shower. Danny took his time knowing he needed to build up his confidence and figure out what to say to Mindy. He finally finished after a body wrinkling 30 minutes.

Danny turned off the shower and frowned hearing yelling coming from the other room. At first, he thought it might have been the television. He knew from personal experience that Mindy liked to have the volume extremely loud, but he quickly realized the commotion was coming from inside the room. It sounded like a couple fighting.

He pulled on a pair of boxer briefs and stormed out of the bathroom looking for a fight. It didn’t occur to him how ridiculous he looked in just a pair of underwear.

It took only a moment to assess the situation. Casey was yelling at Mindy and she was in tears. Danny strode over to the younger man and punched him in the face.

Casey stumbled backward and covered his bloody nose. The sickening crunch assured it was broken and he looked up at Danny with wild eyes.

It took the younger man a moment to regain his senses but he quickly lunged at Danny and punched him in the face but with considerably less power and damage.

Danny wrenched Casey’s arm behind his back and marched him to the door. He opened the door with his spare hand and tossed the younger man out into the hallway.

Danny said, “Come back when you can speak to Mindy like a human being.”

He slammed the door and turned around to look at Mindy.

She was still standing in the middle of the room in shock. Rarely had Mindy witnessed that type of intensity from Danny. She knew that she should be offended by his act of barbarism but instead she was oddly titillated.

He shuffled across the room and looked at Mindy apologetically. Danny took her face into his hands and let his thumbs lightly brush away her tears.

“Are you okay?” asked Danny.

Mindy finally came out of her trance and nodded. She swallowed nervously and said, “You’re bleeding.”

Danny asked, “What?”

“I think Casey might have broken your nose, Danny. You’re bleeding. Let me look at it.”

Danny said, “I don’t care about my nose right now. I want to know if you are okay. Are you?”

She said, “I’m fine, Danny. You didn’t need to throw Casey out. I could have handled it.”

“He had no right to be yelling at you when you’re injured. He’s a jerk. What was he doing here anyway?” asked Danny.

He tried to hide the jealousy contained behind his dark eyes. Mindy was notorious for getting back with her less than stellar exes. He knew he had no right to be angry or jealous but that didn’t stop the sick feeling building in his stomach.

She grabbed her medical bag and demanded, “Sit down so that I can get a better look at your nose.”

Danny obliged her and sat down at the foot of the bed.

Mindy stood over him dabbing at the bloody mess of his face.

“Min?”

She tried not to bite her lip at the soft way in which he said her name. She looked into his eyes and was gutted by the wounded look she saw there.

“Yeah, Danny?”

“What was Casey doing here?” asked Danny.

Mindy continued cleaning his face and replied, “He heard about the crash from some of the volunteers. He tried calling me but came up empty. He went to the clinic, talked to one of the other doctors, and found out I was in the crash and that I was staying at this hotel. He came to see if I was okay…”

He cleared his throat and asked, “Is that the only reason he came?”

“He wants to get back together,” said Mindy.

Danny nodded at her and said, “I’m sorry I punched your boyfriend, Mindy. I thought he was bothering you. Listen, I’ll go try to find him and bring him back.”

Mindy pushed Danny’s shoulder to make him sit back down.

“Shut up, Castellano.”

He was stunned and quickly closed his mouth.

“He’s not my boyfriend and I’m not interested in Casey right now. I’m more interested in the man who flew to Haiti to find me and who is cooking a really awesome dinner if the smell coming from the kitchen is any indication,” said Mindy, she flashed a sheepish smile.

Danny asked, “Interested like? Interested how?”

Mindy huffed and said, “Don’t go legless on me now, Danny. You punched my ex-boyfriend and threw him out of my hotel room while wearing your underwear. That was pretty badass. Where is badass Danny that kissed me a couple hours ago?”

Danny stood up and circled one arm around Mindy’s waist. He gingerly pulled her against his body until they were pressed together seamlessly.

“Did you like that kiss earlier? Danny asked, the tone of his voice was low and gravelly.

Mindy felt a shiver run down the length of her spine at the sound of his voice. She nodded slightly. Mindy felt unable to form words.

Danny slid his hand underneath Mindy’s tank top and splayed his fingers across her lower back. He kept her firmly pressed against him as he relished feeling her bare skin under his warm touch. Danny leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was hard, fast, and a little desperate.

Mindy took in a sharp breath feeling Danny’s tongue sweep lightly against her bottom lip. She wasn’t prepared for that move. It appeared that Dr. Castellano wasn’t as stoic as she thought. She choked out a tiny whimper as she melted into his embrace.

They stood there making out like teenagers until they were both out of breath and Mindy could feel the not so subtle bulge in Danny’s flimsy boxer briefs.

Danny took a step back and looked at Mindy with a cocky grin.

“Was that badass enough for you?”

She nodded numbly and moved back in for another kiss but Danny stilled her movements.

“Danny,” Mindy whined.

He smirked and said, “If we keep this up I won’t be able to stop, Min.”

“I don’t want you to stop, Danny.”

His pulse was pounding and his mouth went dry as he looked at the way she nervously chewed at her bottom lip. Her pupils were blown and her breathing was erratic. He had no doubt that she wanted this as much as he did. Danny was tempted to continue but he knew better.

“You’re so beautiful and incredibly sexy, Min. I want this but I want more than a one-night stand. I want you, but you are on hydrocodone because of the crash. I don’t want to take advantage of this situation.”

She pushed Danny backward so that he plopped onto the foot of her bed. Mindy expertly straddled him and draped an arm around his neck to maintain her balance. A broken arm made everything more difficult.

In a seductive voice she said, “It isn’t the hydrocodone that’s making me want you. Why do you think I called you after the accident? I trust you, Danny. I trust you not to hurt me. I trust you to look out for me. I know that you would never take advantage of me. I want more than a one-night stand too.”

He watched the emotions play over Mindy’s face while at the same time holding her steady. It would not do to have her take a tumble off his lap.

He asked, “Is that why you lied to me about the hotel being full?”

Mindy couldn’t have been more embarrassed and she tried to extricate herself from his hold on her, but Danny had a death grip on her hips.

“Mindy Lahiri is speechless? I don’t believe that has ever happened,” Danny teased, but his voice was to gravelly and rough.

“I keep thinking about that night at the hospital. Sometimes I dream about it ending differently. It never does but I dream about,” Mindy confessed.

Danny asked, “You dreamed about me?”

Mindy bit her lip and laughed at herself. She said, “I’m just going to stop talking now. I am not making this any better.”

He smiled, “I’ve been thinking about that night too, Mindy. I keep thinking that if I would have told you how I felt…you would have never got on that plane.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked, she couldn’t hide the shocked expression on her face.

“I was scared that you would get on the plane anyway. A friendship can’t come back from that, Min. If I stepped out on a limb and said that I’m falling in love with you, only to have you reject me…”

She touched his scruffy face and smiled, “I wouldn’t have rejected you, Danny. Not then, not now, and not ever.”

 

 

 

 


	5. Dinner for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindy starts to worry about returning to the real world.

Danny watched Mindy discreetly as they enjoyed a candlelit meal together. He liked being with Mindy because he never had to wonder what she was thinking. The younger doctor was always willing to say everything on her mind until tonight. Very few words were spoken over the meal and Danny only managed to get the barest of conversations from her.

Mindy fidgeted under his gaze and remained uncharacteristically silent throughout their meal.

He could only assume it was because of the emotional conversation from earlier in the evening. They discussed some weighty topics concerning whatever this was between the two of them. In his heart, Danny knew that Mindy was having second thoughts and he couldn’t blame her.

Mindy was an eternal optimist and she had a childlike view that everything would turn out perfectly. However, Danny’s experience with life and love taught him that things rarely turned out the way you wanted. People fall short of your aspirations for them and they break your heart. Despite all of that, he was still willing to take the chance on a relationship with Mindy.

Daniel Castellano was willing to throw caution to the wind and do this if only Mindy would agree.

“How is dinner?” asked Danny, he watched Mindy’s shocked expression at his sudden question.

Mindy almost dropped her fork when Danny spoke to her. She was imaging what their lives would be like once they went back to New York.

“It is heavenly, Danny. You have a lot of hidden talents like your secret piano playing.”

Danny chuckled roughly, “I wouldn’t call my talents hidden. I would just say I haven’t always given you the opportunity to really get to know me. Things are different now. I’ll let you in on all of my talents if you like.”

She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip and looked at Danny through her thick eyelashes. Earlier in the haze of passion and arousal, she was ready to charge headlong into a relationship but now she was anxious.

Danny was right earlier when he said that if this relationship failed they couldn’t go back to way things were. It was hard enough working with Jeremy after their string of tawdry interludes and she didn’t harbor any serious feelings for him.

Not only would their friendship end but also she doubted that they would be able to continue to work together. One of them would have to leave Shulman & Associates or they would both have to suffer months of awkwardness. She was scared of breaking his heart the way Christina had.

“Min, are you okay?” asked Danny.

“Of course I am, Danny. Why wouldn’t I be?” Mindy snapped.

He wasn’t deterred by her attitude. Danny knew Mindy was scared and was lashing out because of that.

“You’ve been the quietest you have ever been in the entire time I’ve known you. There is something going on in that head of yours so we might as well get it out in the open. What’s wrong?”

Mindy chewed at her lip and glared at him. She hated that he appeared to know her so well. When did that happen? Danny ignored her for the most part. He only paid attention when she forced him to do so.

“I was just thinking about what you said earlier about stepping out on a limb…”

Danny nodded, “You’re worried.”

“We are great friends now. You are like my best guy friend ever. I don’t really know how it happened but we are. The last thing I would ever want to do is lose our friendship, but…”

He felt the knot in his stomach tighten as he watched Mindy struggle with her feelings. Danny began to think that being honest with her was the wrong idea.

“Min, if you don’t want to do this then we don’t have to do it. We can remain friends and just pretend what happened here today didn’t happen. I came here to make sure that you were okay. It doesn’t have to go beyond that.”

Mindy looked up from her plate with glassy eyes, “Could you really do that, Danny? Could pretend that there’s nothing between us? I don’t think I can do that. Not now. Not after what you told me. Not after that kiss.”

He moved out his chair and kneeled next to Mindy. He took her uninjured hand a placed a feather light kiss across her knuckles.

“You might not know this but I don’t have many friends.”

She snickered at that statement. Everyone knew that Danny didn’t have many friends. He didn’t really like people. She was shocked when she found out about his friend Stevie.

Danny tickled her thigh and in a warning voice said, “Hey, no laughing at me.”

She giggled and said, “I’m sorry…keep going.”

“I don’t have many friends and I don’t want to lose your friendship. If you don’t think we can make this relationship work I won’t be angry if you decide you don’t want to date. I love you enough to figure out a way to make things okay for us, Min.”

Mindy interjected, “Let’s stay here.”

“What?”

“I mean it. I was supposed to be here for a year and then it changed to 3 months. Maybe we could both stay here and help at the clinic. They could use another OB/GYN now that I’m only half a doctor with my broken arm.”

“We can’t leave Jeremy alone for ten months. He needs help. Right now he’s seeing my patients and yours.”

Mindy said, “We don’t have to stay ten months. We can stay for six and Jeremy could hire temporary doctors to take our places while we’re gone. Frankly, I don’t know why you two didn’t hire someone as soon as I was gone.”

Danny smiled sheepishly, “I needed the extra work to keep myself busy. I didn’t mind taking over your workload with Jeremy’s help. He minded a little but went along with my plan anyway.”

“Well, Jeremy can hire two people in our absence. We’ll only be gone for six months.”

“Why is staying here so important to you, Min?”

Mindy sighed, “If we go home then we have to be Dr. Lahiri and Dr. Castellano. We’ll have to hide our relationship from everyone at the office or deal with everyone wanting to be involved and I know that you hate that. I’m scared that if we go back now this will never work. You have been a witness to my failed relationships…they are all like the Titanic but without Leonardo DiCaprio painting me nude.”

“Mindy, that’s our life. We can’t run away from it. We would have to go back eventually and deal with all of things that are scaring you now.”

“I’m not suggesting that we run away. I just feel like we should focus on our relationship before we put it to trial by fire. Think about having six months to get to know one another without interference. We’ll go to work every day and then come back home and just be together. I’ve had a lot of failed relationships, Danny, I don’t want this to be another one. I want this to work. Please…”

“You really want to do this?” asked Danny.

Mindy sighed, “You think this is insane don’t you? I always make spontaneous decisions without thinking everything out.”

Danny said, “Well, then I guess we make a good team. You make snap judgments and I debate for too long and never make a decision. We will balance each other out. We can’t stay for six months but how about a couple weeks?”

“A couple weeks? Seriously? You’d do that for me, Danny?” asked Mindy, her eyes lit up in surprise.

Danny took his job very seriously and the fact that he was willing to take a little time off to be with her spoke volumes about her importance in his life.

He smiled and caressed her face, “I would do anything for you, Min. We will Skype with Jeremy tomorrow morning to tell him we will be staying for three weeks. He asked Dr. Hollis to help him with our patients while I came here to look for you. They agreed to two weeks. Maybe we could get Dr. Hollis to agree to a third week. None of my patients are due for about six weeks, but it would be good to have an extra pair of hands just in case. Honestly, we won’t know how soon you can leave until you see a doctor for a check-up. You can’t fly until we know that brain swelling from the subdural hematoma has gone down.”

 “Are we really doing this?” asked Mindy.

“I think we are. There are still a lot of things we have to figure out in order to make this work but we can do this.”

Mindy pulled Danny in closer and leaned down to kiss him deeply.

“Thank you.”

He smiled, “I think I will have to kiss you more often.”

“Is it because I am an amazing kisser?” asked Mindy, she grinned excitedly.

Danny moved to sit in his chair and laughed, “No, because it keeps you quiet. For a little while anyway.”

Her eyes widened and she tossed a small chunk of bread at him.

“Hey! That’s not very nice **_Daniel Castellano_** and you should be nice to me because I’m injured.”

Danny caught the chunk of bread and popped it into his mouth.

He smirked, “You’re going to milk this broken arm for all you’re worth aren’t you?”

 Mindy smiled innocently, “You said yourself that I still had a bruised brain. I think you are going to have to treat me with kid gloves.”

His expression became somber and he nodded, “You’re right. A hematoma is serious business. That’s why we should abstain from sex until you get a clean bill of health from the doctor. I wouldn’t want to take any risks with your health.”

The younger doctor’s jaw dropped in surprise as she stared at Danny trying to ascertain if he was being serious or facetious.

Danny bit the inside of his mouth to keep himself from laughing at the look of absolute horror on Mindy’s face. He managed to maintain a straight face and went back to eating dinner.

“Danny, you’re a doctor! You know that isn’t necessary.”

He argued, “I haven’t seen your MRI scans so I don’t really know the size or location of the hematoma. I don’t know if the diuretic the doctor prescribed is helping reduce the swelling. We really can’t take any chances with your health. When did the doctor want to see you again?”

Danny took another bite of the pasta and washed it down with water. He smiled encouragingly at Mindy. He knew this was cruel but it was a little funny to see the frustration and devastation on her face.

“I have an appointment to see the doctor in three days. He’ll be able to tell me then if the swelling has gone down.”

He nodded and said, “Well, we’ll just have to stay chaste until then. I think we can both manage that. Don’t you?”

Mindy made some sort of noncommittal noise in the back of her throat and returned to eating her meal. However, it was much less appetizing now. Danny could be such a stick in the mud sometimes. Obviously, she was fine.

“But I’m not having any dizzy spells, memory loss, or vomiting.”

Danny hid a small smirk as he listened to her argue her case.

“What about headaches?”

Mindy went quiet and quickly shoved a forkful of pasta into her mouth.

All the playfulness inside of Danny went away. His expression grew more serious and asked, “Mindy, are you having headaches?”

“Yes, but that is a normal symptom of having a concussion or a hematoma. It is nothing to be worried about.”

Danny said, “It could be something to be worried about. How long have you had the headache?”

Mindy sighed, “I don’t have one now but I did have one early when you went to the market. That’s why I laid down. I was hoping the silence and the darkness of the room would help it go away and it did.”

He relaxed marginally and asked, “Have you had a headache since then?”

“No. I’m a doctor too, Danny. If I thought there was something wrong I would be at the hospital right now.”

“The old adage of doctors making the worst patients is true. I just want to know that you are okay.”

Danny wasn’t on edge anymore but what started off as a joke was no longer a joke. He was concerned about Mindy’s condition and wouldn’t feel comfortable with any physical activity until he saw her MRI scans for himself.

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindy and Danny take advantage of their extended stay in Haiti.

Mindy began to stir and rolled over to snuggle into Danny’s warmth. She frowned feeling the cold sheets on the other side of the bed. Danny had obviously abandoned his spot some time ago.

She sat up in the bed and smiled smelling fresh coffee brewing in the kitchenette. Mindy quickly realized that Danny was cooking breakfast for her.

She climbed out of the bed and quietly shuffled into the kitchenette as she stifled a yawn.

“Hey, how long have you been awake?” asked Mindy.

Danny said, “I woke up at 6 AM. I am no good at sleeping in unless I am sick.”

Mindy swiped a piece of fruit from a bowl and popped it into her mouth.

“You don’t know what you’re missing, Castellano. You are like an old man. I bet you like Early-bird specials too,” Mindy teased.

He chuckled as he scrambled eggs and said, “No, I don’t like early-bird specials and I’m not that much older than you are.”

“I know but I take pleasure in knowing that no matter how old I get you’ll always be older. Trust me a woman needs that in her life.”

“I’ll never understand why women make such a big deal out of aging. There is nothing wrong with getting older. You look beautiful,” Danny observed.

His life was better now than it was as a child. Besides he liked to think his age afforded him wisdom to avoid repeating youthful mistakes. He looked at his bare ring finger and noted solemnly that Christina was one of those mistakes.

Mindy huffed and replied, “You don’t understand because you’re a man. You can get a big beer belly and lose your hair and some woman would still probably take you home.”

Danny joked, “That’s because no woman can resist my charm.”

She lightly slapped his arm and said, “Don’t forget that I’ve seen your anxiety sweats. That’s not what I would call charming.”

“Well, you decided to date me anyway. I guess you like my anxiety sweats.”

Mindy made a face at him but relaxed against the counter and watched him cook. She wondered if he used to make breakfast like this for Christina. Mindy still wondered why the woman would have cheated on Danny. Even in his most annoying states, and he could be annoying, he was a loyal man and behind his gruff exterior he could be very sweet.

“How are you feeling? Do you have a headache?” asked Danny, he glanced at Mindy as he turned off the burner and portioned the scrambled eggs onto two plates.

“My arm is in some pain. I should probably take my medicine after I eat breakfast but I don’t have a headache. I think last night was probably a one off.”

Danny said, “You are in luck because breakfast is done. You can have a seat at the table and I will bring everything over. I was planning to surprise you in bed with breakfast. Do you want juice or coffee?”

Mindy grinned eagerly and said, “I still want breakfast in bed! I’m getting back in the bed now. I want coffee.”

He chuckled and shook his head as she scurried back over to the bed. 

Danny made three trips carrying their plates and beverages over to the bed. Finally, he sat beside her in the bed and started to eat breakfast.

“I talked to Jeremy this morning while you were still asleep. He feels comfortable covering for us for the next three weeks with Dr. Hollis’s help. Jeremy doesn’t think Dr. Hollis will have any objections. It isn’t as if he is on staff fulltime anywhere. I was thinking it might not be a bad idea to have Dr. Hollis on PRN even once we are back. We may need the extra hands for deliveries until your arm is completely healed.”

Mindy nibbled on a piece of toast and tried to hide her distaste at the idea of anyone handling her patients. However, she knew it could be anywhere between 6 to 8 weeks for her arm to heal properly. That was too long for Jeremy and Danny to carry her weight in the delivery room.

“I think that’s a great idea, Danny. You two will need the help. What are we going to do today?”

“I was thinking that we could watch movies or TV to pass the time. It isn’t like we can really go anywhere or do anything. Not that I’d want to go anywhere or do anything.”

Mindy laughed, “How can you not want to go out and explore? You’re in a new country!”

“My girlfriend is injured and is not up to going on a walking tour of the sights. Anyway, I’m sure that you’ve already seen everything.”

Mindy tried not to grin like maniac when Danny called her his girlfriend but the smile on her face was evident. She quickly picked up her cup of coffee to obscure her unwavering smile.

She shook her head, “I haven’t had the time. When I was staying in the tent with Casey I wasn’t in the city. Once I moved here to the hotel, I picked up more days at the clinic because I was going to go home earlier than I intended. I felt bad for leaving them shorthanded.”

Danny looked like he was considering this new information.

He asked, “Are you saying you want to go see the sights?”

Mindy asked, “What do you think?”

He chuckled and shook his head, “These are the rules. We will go out for four hours after breakfast. After that, we come back so that you can take your medicine and have lunch. You’re pain medication will have worn off by then. Agreed?”

“Only if you agree to go out again tomorrow,” Mindy bargained.

Danny grumbled. He had a difficult time saying no to Mindy normally. It was doubly hard while the younger doctor was injured and his newly minted girlfriend.

He relented, “Alright you win. We’ll go sightseeing tomorrow too.”

Mindy smiled smugly before returning to her meal.

“Do you already know what places you want to visit?”

“I really want to visit some of the museums. I’ve passed them on my way to and from the hotel but I haven’t been inside. I think it could be a lot of fun, but if museums aren’t your thing…”

Museums didn’t really pique Danny’s interest but he was willing to make the trip for Mindy. Besides, they were in a foreign country and he had never been there before. It would be foolish not to get to know the culture a little better.

“No, I think it is a good idea. I’ll see what I can find on the internet and make sure all the places you want to visit are open today.”

Mindy grinned at Danny before returning to her breakfast. She really wanted to call Gwen someone needed to know about the insanity taking place between her and Danny. Right now, it felt as if they were in their own little Shangri-La. However, this presented a problem at some point they would have to return to reality and that could be a rude awakening.

The couple quietly finished breakfast, each of them imbedded in their own thoughts and concerns. Afterward Danny collected their dishes and took them to the kitchenette.

Mindy said, “I’m going to start getting ready for our excursion!”

Covertly she picked up Danny’s cell phone without him noticing and slipped into the bathroom. She put the seat down on the toilet and sat down to call Gwen.

Mindy was shocked to see the number was saved into Danny’s phone. She assumed he must have done that while he thought she was missing.

Gwen answered the phone, “Hi, Danny.”

“Gwen, it’s me, Mindy!”

“Mindy! Oh my God! It is so good to hear your voice! I was so worried about you when Danny told me about the accident.”

Mindy smiled hearing the genuine concern in her friend’s voice.

“Did you get the text Danny sent yesterday?”

“Yes, I got it but that isn’t the same thing as hearing your voice. Are you okay?”

Mindy said, “I’m in some pain and I won’t be delivering any babies for about six weeks but other than that I’m great.”

Gwen frowned and asked, “Are you sure? You sound off.”

“Off?! What is that supposed to mean?” Mindy asked, she became defensive almost immediately.

“I don’t know. It just seems like there is something wrong. Maybe I’m just worried about you. When are you coming home? You can stay here with me while you are recovering. Carl won’t mind and Riley will love having her godmother stay here.”

“Well, I won’t be coming home for a couple of weeks. Danny and I are going to stay here a little longer.”

Gwen said, “Ah…”

“Ah? What ah?” asked Mindy, her voice rose in panic.

Gwen let out a giddy laugh, “He was so cute, Mindy. I have never seen a man so panicked. Well, maybe Carl when I went into labor with Riley but Danny was a close second. He called me at 7 AM the morning after your accident. He wanted to know if you called me. He was seriously upset and worried about you. I can’t say that I was shocked when he called to say he was going to Haiti to find you.”

Mindy disclosed, “He kissed me.”

Gwen took great joy in this entire situation. She knew Mindy incredibly well and could always tell when she had a crush on a man. Her suspicions were bolstered by Danny’s behavior toward Mindy. However, briefly she believed that her theory was wrong when he started dating their mutual friend, Alex.

“Did you like it?”

“We’re dating.”

“Wait. What? I thought you said that the two of you kissed. How did you go from your first kiss to dating?”

Mindy said, “I don’t know. It just sort of happened, Gwen! He punched Casey and told me how he really felt about me. And we slept in the same bed last night but nothing happened because he’s worried about my head.”

“Your head? What’s wrong with your head?”

“That isn’t important to this conversation Gwen! I’m trying to say that I think I am okay with having this super serious relationship with Danny and that’s weird, right? I mean tell me it is weird! He’s a grumpy old man and I annoy him. How is this happening?”

Gwen realized that she wasn’t going to get all the details when Mindy was manic like this. She took a breath and said, “I think Danny could be good for you, Mindy. He isn’t like the men you normally date and maybe that is a good thing. You sound confused but more than that you sound happy.”

Mindy glanced at herself in the mirror and was shocked to see a small grin on her face. Why was she smiling? When did she start smiling and about what?

“It’ll never work. He likes Bruce Springsteen and old man drinks. He doesn’t like reality TV shows. He doesn’t like romantic comedies. We don’t have anything in common, Gwen. He’s from Staten Island!”

She didn’t understand why she was trying to talk herself out of a really good thing but her anxiety from last night was still present.

Gwen said, “Carl and I don’t have a lot of similar interests but we love one another. No one said that you had to fall in love with your twin. You’re looking for your other half and maybe Danny is your other half. You said yourself that he watches the Real Housewives with you and occasionally one of your favorite movies. I don’t think there is a lot Danny wouldn’t do to make you happy. Case in point he is in Haiti with you.”

“I’m being crazy aren’t I?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time. When are you coming home?” 

Mindy laughed, “That’s not funny, Gwen. Danny and I are staying here for three weeks. I should go. I’m supposed to be getting ready to go sightseeing with him.”

Gwen said, “Have fun and Mindy don’t be afraid of being happy. It isn’t as hard as it seems.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Beanpole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindy and Danny navigate their new relationship.

Danny walked out of the bathroom dressed in scrubs and tennis shoes. He was getting closer to a full-on beard. He was still wondering how Mindy convinced him to volunteer at the clinic with her. The woman was a force of nature and he never really could resist her. Sometimes it was surprising to him how much their relationship had changed in the time they knew one another. Danny was always slow to trust but Mindy wore him down and chipped away at his defenses.

Their relationship was just a week old but the couple was happy. They still bickered almost non-stop and ribbed each other mercilessly but that just made their new relationship feel familiar and comfortable. He was starting understand why Mindy wanted to stay in Haiti for a while. Here they were able to be themselves without prying eyes and unsolicited relationship commentary. He was an incredibly private person and she understood that. Things would change when they went back home to New York.

Danny had a seat next to Mindy and smoothed her silky hair away from her eyes. Sometimes he found himself watching Mindy sleep. He joked it was one of the rare moments her mouth was closed. Saying that aloud usually got him a slap to the arm and a pout or a whine from Mindy.

Mindy yawned but her eyes remained closed, “Stalk much, Danny?”

He laughed and leaned down to place a quick kiss on her lips.

However, Mindy was not ready to let him go that easily. She threaded her fingers through his hair and deepened their kiss until she needed to pull back for sweet oxygen.

Danny couldn’t suppress his smile so he didn’t try.

He said, “You are the one that committed us to volunteering at the clinic this week. It is time to get up and get ready. The shuttle to the village will be leaving in approximately one hour and 25 minutes. It’ll take you about that long to get showered and dressed.”

Mindy complained, “It doesn’t take me that long to get ready, Danny. I’ve cut my morning beauty regimen down by half since I have been in Haiti. I’m not an absorbed city girl anymore.”

He chuckled because Mindy seemed so proud of her shortened morning beauty schedule. However, she was still painfully slow. The previous morning it took her an hour to get ready. Danny had to convert their breakfast into sandwiches they could eat during the car ride. He would do the same thing this morning.

Finally, she opened her eyes and scowled at him, “What is so funny?”

“Nothing, Min, but you do need to get up and get ready. You were excited about seeing your favorite patient today.”

Mindy perked up a little and sat up in the bed wearing one of Danny’s t-shirts.

“I almost forgot that Isa was coming in today. This is her last check-up before she gives birth. She is so amazing, Danny. I cannot wait for you to meet her. She is a single mother. Her husband died of tuberculosis a few weeks after she got pregnant. She has been raising their daughter, Nadia, on her own since then. Isa went to college here and then moved back to the village she grew up in to teach. She wants Nadia to become a doctor like me. I hope she brings Nadia with her today. I want to be able to say goodbye to both of them.”

Danny couldn’t help but be impressed by the young mother’s tenacity but also Mindy’s exuberance when talking about her. It was nice to see her excited about something more than the latest celebrity gossip or sappy romance films. He could see a change in Mindy and he liked it.

“I can’t wait to meet her. She sounds like a great woman. Get up, Min. You can’t stay in bed any longer. I’m going to make breakfast so that we can eat on our way out of the door.”

“I can afford to skip breakfast one day, Danny. You’ve been cooking a lot since you got here. I think I’ve gained weight,” said Mindy, she huffed in annoyance at the thought.

Danny said, “You were in an accident and you are taking antibiotics. You need real food to boost your immune system. Heating up food and eating junk isn’t the way to stay healthy and you know that.”

She walked toward the bathroom and said, “Well, don’t complain when I turn into a total fatty! I’m curvy now but just you wait and see. There is a fine line between chubby and obese, Danny! You’ll be dumping me for a beanpole like Christina.”

The older doctor was across the room and at Mindy’s back in a matter of seconds. He gently spun her around so that she was facing him.

Mindy’s eyes went wide in shock but also because of the intense look on Danny’s face.

She stuttered, “S-sorry. It was in poor taste for me to bring up Christina, Danny.”

“I don’t care about Christina. I care that you think that I would be so shallow as to dump you for gaining a couple pounds. I think everything about you is beautiful, Mindy. I love your dark eyes and the way they light up when you are watching a romantic comedy. I love the way you laugh at your unfunny jokes.”

She complained, “I’m hilarious.”

Danny said, “I love that you march to the beat of your own drum. You are one of the most unique women I have ever met. Do not sell yourself short thinking that gaining more weight would make you less attractive somehow. I love every inch of you.”

For emphasis, Danny reached down and cupped Mindy’s shapely backside. He squeezed and smirked looking into her eyes.

Mindy sucked in a shocked breath and didn’t know what to do or where to look.

She whispered, “I need to get ready…”

Danny gave Mindy a lecherous smile and lightly brushed his lips against hers. He let go of her butt and said, “Yes, you do need to get ready and I need to make breakfast which you are going to eat.”

He turned on his heels and left Mindy standing in front of the bathroom breathless, aroused, and confused.

 

 


	8. Exhaustion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny breaks some bad news to Mindy after a long shift at the clinic.

Danny dropped onto the bed like a ton of bricks and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to move for a week or two. Today had been the most exhausting shift he had worked since his days as a lowly intern. He remembered now why he hated his rotation in the Emergency Room. Dealing with that volume of patients was overwhelming and in the end, you felt like a worker on an assembly line rather than a caring physician.  

Mindy sat on the edge of the bed pulling off her shoes and then laid back against her pillows. She wasn’t as tired as Danny because of her limited duties at the clinic, but a nap sounded like a stellar idea.

She rolled over so that her head rested against Danny’s shoulder. Mindy smiled as she took in his familiar scent. It was like taking a little whiff of home.

“I should have warned you that weekends are a bit of a madhouse. You weren’t really prepared for that. I’m sorry, Danny. I just felt bad for having to cut my trip short. I wanted to help them out.”

Danny rubbed her back in a circular pattern and said, “Don’t apologize. I had a good time. I felt like I was really making a difference. I mean we deliver babies in New York but let’s be honest there are a thousand other doctors just as qualified to do the same thing. Besides, I spent the majority of my day treating malaria patients I was sort of pressed into service as the numbers steadily increased.”

Seeing all of the helplessly ill patients weighed on Danny’s mind. He was certain that several people he saw that day would not be alive tomorrow. Their malaria was too far advanced for the intravenous treatment to do any good.  

“I can’t believe all three villages are having a malaria outbreak. I guess I can because of the spate of rainstorms we had the week of the accident but this is unexpected.”

“It is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.  Most people are coming in now that their symptoms are serious. You know that the best time to treat malaria is at the start after testing for it. Some people were lucky they only had the uncomplicated type. The majority of the people I saw today had to stay at the clinic overnight. Giving them chloroquine and sending them home was out of the question.”

Mindy said, “I know. Dr. McNally is going to send teams out into the villages tomorrow to check for more malaria patients. There have been rumors that some people are too sick to make the trip to the clinic.”

Danny said, “I offered to be on one of the teams.”

Her eyes darkened and then a look of horror crossed her face. Something horrible just occurred to the young doctor and it made her heart nearly stop.

“Danny, you came here on a whim….you didn’t take the necessary precautions. I didn’t even think about that before now. You shouldn’t even be at the clinic. You need to get tested for malaria.”

He smiled at her concern, “I started taking atovaquone-proguanil the morning after you called me and I made sure to get a typhoid vaccination. I will take atovaquone-proguanil for the rest of my stay and for about a week after we go home. That should keep me safe.”

She said, “I thought you were just taking your old man vitamins.”

He laughed, “No, I’m a doctor, Min. Even in my worried state, I wouldn’t leave the country without the proper shots. I couldn’t look for you if I was laid up in the hospital.”

Mindy relaxed visibly knowing that Danny wasn’t at risk for contracting malaria. She didn’t want to think about him getting sick because he came to save her. Although she didn’t really need saving.

“If the situations were reversed I probably would have because I do things like that.”

He kissed her cheek, “I’d be there to make sure that you didn’t.”

Mindy smiled to herself. Danny had done just that before her trip to Haiti. He hounded her about getting the proper shots and medication. Danny was always trying to take care of her even if he didn’t realize it.

“I wish that we could stay longer to help out. They need the help but Jeremy needs us too. We have a responsibility to Shulman & Associates.”

“I know that we do, Danny. It was crazy to suggest we stay here for six months. I panicked. Maybe we can come back one day.”

Danny kissed her and said, “I know it isn’t the same as Haiti but we could always volunteer back home. There are a lot of places that would welcome free help.”

“I think I would like that. I really wish I had the chance to see Isa today. I wanted you to meet her.”

He debated keeping it a secret but she would find out sooner rather than later.

“Actually, I did meet Isa. She has malaria.”

Danny visibly winced at the blunt manner in which he broke the news. He tried to do it quickly like ripping off a band-aid but it sounded more callous than he intended.

Mindy sat up in the bed and asked, “Are you sure it was Isa?”

“I’m positive, Min. She came in for her check-up and Dr. McNally sent her my way. I realized right away that she had malaria. Because of her pregnancy and the advance stage of the malaria she’s staying the night at the hospital.”

“How advanced is the malaria?” asked Mindy.

Danny said, “I won’t really know for sure until the test results come back.”

Mindy folded her uninjured arm across her chest and scowled at Danny. She knew that he was lying to her. He had to have an idea about the severity of Isa’s case if he recommended an overnight stay at the clinic.

“What are here symptoms, Danny?”

He scrubbed at his scruffy face and sighed, “The first thing I noticed this afternoon was pronounced respiratory distress. Her blood pressure was 80/42. We also found blood in her urine.”

For a moment, Mindy wished that she wasn’t a doctor. She wished that she didn’t understand Isa’s dire medical situation. She wished that just for a moment she could let Danny hold her and pretend that recovery was a real possibility.

Danny pulled her into a hug and whispered against her short hair, “I’m sorry, Min.”

Mindy slipped out of Danny’s arms and went into the bathroom for some much-needed privacy. She didn’t want to blubber in front of Danny. She thought herself an ugly crier and they were technically still in the honeymoon phase of the relationship where she pretended to be closer to perfect than normal.

 

 


	9. Heading Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Mindy prepare to go back home.

Danny walked out of the bathroom dressed in navy blue pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. He looked exhausted but he still managed to smile when his eyes fell onto Mindy reading a well-worn copy of _In Her Shoes_.

After dinner, she took a hot shower and put herself to bed. The long days were brutal for Danny but they weren’t much easier for Mindy. Despite Dr. McNally putting Mindy on limited clinic duty, she often did more than her share. Today was a particularly hard day for Mindy because she had to say goodbye to everyone. They would be flying home in two days time. It seemed like their three weeks in paradise ended so quickly.

Danny took off his St. Christopher’s medal and placed it on the nightstand as he climbed into bed beside Mindy. He kissed her cheek and asked, “How many times are you going to read that book?”

In the past, he always pretended not to pay attention to Mindy but that was never the case. Danny could be incredibly observant when it was important to him. Somewhere along the way, he began learning Mindy’s quirks but didn’t realize it. Now he knew the names of her favorite books, magazines, TV shows, and designers. It was information he didn’t want but was somehow burned into his head.

“It is one of my favorite books. You never get tired of reading the good ones. It isn’t often that a chubby girl gets to have a happy ending. Hollywood doesn’t really give us those types of movies. I believe that is the fatal flaw of the romantic comedy formula. In the movie adaptation, they used Toni Colette. I would never claim she was average size but she certainly isn’t plus size. Although, I suppose anyone would feel plain next to Cameron Diaz.”

Danny said, “Those movies are never close to reality, Min. It is all smoke and mirrors. They give women unrealistic expectations for romance. The when men fall short, and we will fall short, we are the ones that get the blame. Real love doesn’t happen at one particular moment at the top of the Empire State Building it accrues over time like interest.”

She huffed out a laugh and slapped his arm with the paperback book.

“You were sounding a little romantic before you started talking about interest. The next thing I know you’ll be explaining tariffs and NAFTA.”

“I’m glad that is a paperback book or it might have hurt. I can talk all night about the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mindy. Don’t tempt me.”

Mindy put away her book and said, “Don’t you dare! You will not ruin a perfectly good day.”

He put his arm around her shoulders. “It was a good day. I am glad that we are leaving on a high note. I know that you were glad to see Isa’s daughter Nadia today. Dr. McNally told me that Isa’s sister brought her in.”

“Well, you are the man of the hour. You made the right call on delivering Isa’s baby early, Danny. She needed the more aggressive anti-malaria medication and we couldn’t give it to her while she was pregnant. Olivia is a few weeks early but at least she has a mother to raise her now. I visited Isa today and she is recovering beautifully, Danny.”

“It wasn’t just me. Dr. McNally had a large hand in it. He had to agree to the emergency C-section. It was a risky prospect with Isa’s condition rapidly deteriorating. I expect her to make a full recovery. I am glad that we decided to stay a few weeks, Mindy. I’ve enjoyed it.”

Mindy rested her head against his shoulder and asked, “Volunteering at the clinic?”

“I have loved volunteering at the clinic but I also liked going out into the villages to help out. It was rewarding in a way I didn’t expect. I think my favorite aspect was visiting the orphanage to administer vaccinations.”

Mindy said, “That was my favorite part, too. I loved seeing all the children and getting to hold the little babies. It is so sad that there are so many children without parents to love them. It was so crowded there. I saw a little girl that was abandoned at the clinic when I first started there. I can’t believe a parent would just leave their child.”

She liked to pretend that she was a worldly person but it wasn’t really true. Mindy grew up in Concord, Massachusetts far away from poverty, crime, and the general malaise of the disenfranchised. She was a girl that went to a Jewish summer camp. There were many aspects of the world that she just couldn’t wrap her brain around.

Danny kissed her temple. “It isn’t an uncommon practice. Sometimes parents think the orphanage can provide more for the child. At the orphanage, they get medical care, an education, and food. I am sure the orphanage will help find them a good home.”

She said, “That is only some of the orphanages. Some of the others are in really bad shape. I read an article about one that the government shut down where all the children were malnourished. Do you know how many children are in orphanages all over Haiti?”

He smiled and rubbed her back. It was rare to see Mindy fired up about something of real importance. It was a different side to the woman he had come to know and love.

“No.”

“Like 35,000, Danny. I researched it on the internet.”

Danny sighed and said, “Unfortunately, that is the case all over the world, Mindy. I grew up down the street from a family, Mr. and Mrs. Del Sarto. They had three biological kids and they used foster many others. Every couple of months or sometimes every couple of weeks there would be a new kid down the street to play with and then one day they would just be gone. Sometimes they went to a new foster family and rarely to an adoptive family. They ended up adopting a three other kids along the way. I thought was pretty cool.”

Mindy perked up listening to Danny talk about such a defining moment of his childhood. It was a rarity for the tight-lipped man to open up about anything of real importance.

She said, “I thought about adoption when I was younger. It was after I found out where babies came from. The idea sounded so horrible but I still wanted to be a mother. I told my parents that I was going to adopt a baby like my cabbage patch doll.”

Danny chuckled because it sounded like a very Mindy thing to think. He asked, “What changed your mind?”

“I don’t know it was probably peer pressure and propaganda from the media. If you’re a woman you are supposed to want to give birth and the whole thing.”

“You are a little old for peer pressure now. What do you think?”

“Old?!”

He laughed, “I meant that peer pressure is more for teenagers and college age young girls. Not strong, intelligent, professional women like you. You can do whatever it is you want to do.”

“Good save, Castellano.”

He shrugged, “I do my best.”

Mindy said, “Well, I think I would want a mix like your neighbors: biological children and adopted children. It is the best of both worlds. What about you, Danny?”

He smiled, “I think I would like that, too. I have always wanted to be a dad. That is one of the reasons Christina and I never would have worked she didn’t really want children.”

“What about when you got back together?” asked Mindy.

“She was willing to compromise but children shouldn’t be a compromise. Being a parent should be something you want to do with your whole heart. I don’t know why I ever thought we were right for one another. She didn’t really like the real me.”

Mindy nodded and said, “I agree. I can’t say that I am sorry that things didn’t work out with Christina. I am just sorry that she hurt you. I like the real you even if he can be super grumpy sometimes.”

Danny said, “I am glad that she did or I might have missed out on being with you. I’m a lucky guy, Mindy Lahiri.”

“I thought Josh was crazy when he asked if you and I were together and even Gwen thought it was about time we started dating. Isn’t it strange how people on the outside see things so clearly before you can? I couldn’t imagine that you would like me that way.”

She traced a random design on the back of his hand.

Danny said, “I guess they see things without the tint of doubt. I wanted to tell you how I felt before you left for Haiti with Casey but I was too worried about rejection. I knew how I felt about you but I couldn’t imagine that you felt the same about me.”

Mindy laughed, “I am glad that you didn’t. I think this turned out better. You came all the way to Haiti to rescue me.”

“Well, I didn’t actually rescue you because you were fine.”

“You burst through the door like a knight in shining armor and you kissed me. You make fun of romantic comedies but that was straight out of the playbook. If we get married it’ll be a story we can tell or children.”

Her eyes widened and she buried her face in his shoulder so that she didn’t have to look at him. She made a serious crazy girl infraction. You can’t talk about getting married when you’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks. That is how to make a man run screaming from the room.

Danny smiled and asked, “You mean Brie and Piper?”

Mindy’s head popped up and she asked, “How did you remember that?”

“I remember most of the things you say to me, Min. Even when it looks like I am not listening at all. For the record, I am not naming our kid Brie or Piper. Those names are insane. Brie is a cheese not a kid’s name. It is a stinky cheese at that.”

She grinned hearing him say that he wouldn’t name their child Brie or Piper. She tried to not to get ahead of herself but it was seriously cute. She kissed his cheek.

“We aren’t naming our child after baseball players.”

Danny chuckled, “We’ll come up with a compromise. We should get some rest. There are a lot of things to do tomorrow before we get ready to head home. You have a lot of packing to do. I think you have more bags now than when you left New York.”

“I guess you are right. The honeymoon is over and now we go back to reality,” said Mindy, she reached over and turned out the lamp.

Danny slid down under the blankets and pulled Mindy into a loose embrace.

“We might be returning to reality but it is a much different one than what we left behind.”

Mindy said, “A better one.”

He said, “A much better one if you ask me. Are you sure we can’t name a child Michael?”

Mindy yawned and curled into Danny’s body. He was unusually warm. She wondered if that contributed to his insane anxiety sweats. She asked, “Is that a baseball player?”

He chuckled and said, “It could be but it is also a very good Italian name. I can call him Mike.”

“Wait! That pizza guy?”

Danny burst in actual laughter, “Do you mean Mike Piazza?”

She rolled her eyes and said, “Whatever, Danny. I was close. I knew it was Italian. I should totally get credit for that. I don’t know anything about baseball and if I did I’d be a Red Sox fan. The Sox are wicked awesome. I’m just glad you aren’t a Yankees fan or I’d never be able to take you home.”

He smiled hearing her Boston accent come out for a moment. He kissed her forehead and said, “Well, that is one thing we can agree on…the Yankees suck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the extreme length between chapters. I ran out of inspiration and didn't know where to go next. I finally have an ending in mind so I am back with a new chapter.


	10. Normalcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Mindy adjust to being back in New York.

Two months later Danny and Mindy were safely back in the United States. They had stayed their three weeks in Haiti and begrudgingly returned to their normal lives. Well, Danny returned to his normal life. He went back to work at Shulman & Associates, much to Jeremy Reed’s relief.

However, they were still short staffed because Mindy was unable to work while her broken arm healed. This made Mindy feel like she was still on some sort of protracted holiday. She spent her time shopping, spending time with Gwen, and enjoying being Danny Castellano’s girlfriend. It softened the blow when Jeremy and Danny hired Dr. Paul Leotard to take her place while she recovered. Mindy knew they needed the help because of the influx of new patients but she didn’t like him.

The man was smug and she hated how much everyone at the office liked him. They were even calling him Dr. L now. That was her nickname and she felt replaced on more than one level. Mindy felt out of place whenever she went to the office to visit Danny.

She wondered if there would even be a space for her at Shulman & Associates when she was finally able to return. Danny told her that she was being silly but then he didn’t understand the need to be liked. He was perfectly fine being seen as a curmudgeon.

In fact, he enjoyed being viewed as less than friendly because it almost guaranteed that people wouldn’t bother him. That didn’t deter Morgan but it did put most people off. Morgan’s graphic prison stories aside, he was even more of an optimist than Mindy. There was very little anyone could do to rain on his parade and that included Danny behaving like a grump.

While she didn’t have work to keep her occupied she did look forward to nights with her new boyfriend. His nights off were the best. They went out on dates or sometimes stayed in to watch a good movie. They even made time for one another when Danny was on call. It was easy to have date night when there was only Danny’s schedule to consider.

Sometimes Mindy would pop into the hospital after he finished a delivery and bring dinner from his favorite restaurant. She had a fond memory of the two of them making out in an on-call room before Danny’s pager interrupted the fun. Other times they would sneak off in the middle of the day for lunch and a little alone time. Yet, her favorite part of dating Danny was waking up next to him in the mornings.

The first few weeks after their trip from Haiti, Danny and Mindy tried going back to business as usual. They stayed at their own apartments and met up for date nights. The longer it went on the more both doctors had to admit they missed being together all the time. Neither was ready to let go of their apartments and move in with the other so they compromised. They alternated weeks at each other’s apartments. This week Mindy was staying at Danny’s place where she had all but took over his closet.  

She hated to admit it but if they ever had to choose where to live she would definitely choose his apartment. It was more spacious and the building was incredible. Danny had a lot more taste than she gave him credit for in most situations.

She liked the feeling of being a real couple but there was still a nagging thought in the back of her mind that something or someone would pull the rug out from under her. She was a disaster when it came to relationships and Mindy was just waiting to see how she managed to bungle this one.

Mindy changed her dress for what seemed like the millionth time. Tonight Danny was taking her out to celebrate her triumphant return to Shulman & Associates. She was supposed to be back at work a month ago but her arm didn’t heal as expected. In their first week home Mindy’s doctor removed the cast and reset her arm.

She was curious about the destination of their date night. Danny decided to keep the details close to his vest. He refused to give her a single hint even when she begged. The only information he was willing to impart pertained to the dress code for the evening: fancy. Mindy knew he was making fun of her but she laughed anyway.

She stood in front of the mirror admiring the way Danny’s favorite black dress hugged her curves. It wasn’t as unique and eclectic as some of the other choices but she knew for sure that Danny liked this dress.

After returning home to New York Mindy decided to let her hair grow out again. A chin length bob replaced her pixie hairstyle. Tonight she styled her hair with soft curls that added volume.

As Mindy sat on the bed to put on her shoes she heard the front door open and then slam shut.

“Tough day?” she called out from the bedroom.

Danny walked into the bedroom in the process of stripping off his scrubs. He stopped seeing Mindy dressed and ready to go. Danny tossed his scrub top into the hamper and walked over to the bed.

He kissed Mindy softly and said, “I must be really late because you are ready. You look beautiful, Min.”

“Don’t worry about it. Tamara called to say that you were going to be late. I know that you had to assist Paul with a delivery that went longer than expected. How did it go?”

Danny stripped off his scrub pants and underwear and tossed them into the hamper as well.

As he walked into the bathroom he said, “It was great. Mr. and Mrs. Granger are the proud parents of triplets. They have two sons and a daughter now. Jeremy was supposed to assist Paul but another of his patients went into labor.”

Mindy exclaimed, “Triplets! I have always wondered how hard it must be to take care of more than one infant at a time. Those poor parents will never be able to sleep again.”

Danny laughed and turned on the shower. He said, “I will be ready to go in less than 30 minutes. We won’t be late for our date.”

Mindy walked to the bathroom door and watched Danny climb into the shower. She asked, “We won’t be late for what?”

“Nice try but I am not that tired. I am still not telling you where we are going. You’re just going to have to deal with it,” said Danny, he winked and then started to lather up.

She scowled playfully and went back into the bedroom to collect the purse that matched the awesome pumps she was wearing. Afterward she went into the living room to watch that last episode of RHOA on Danny’s DVR. He claimed that he only recorded the shows for Mindy but she knew he liked to watch them too.

Mindy was so engrossed by the argument between Nene and Kenya that she didn’t realize Danny was now standing in the living room.

He laughed, “We can stay here and watch this if you prefer.”

Mindy was startled by Danny’s voice and she shot him an evil glare. She quickly picked up the remote and turned off the TV. When she took the opportunity to really look at him Mindy felt her mouth go dry.

Danny looked like he stepped off the cover of GQ magazine. He was wearing a tailored gray suit that had a subtle metallic hint to brighten the normally dull color. Underneath he wore a black dress shirt that had the first two buttons undone. He removed an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to Mindy.

She opened the envelope and squealed, “You got us tickets to The Book of Mormon. You are the best boyfriend ever!”

Danny chuckled as she jumped up from the couch and threw her arms around his neck. He circled her waist with his arms and said, “That is just the first part of the night. I have another surprise in store but we’ll save that for later. We should get going I called a cab while I was getting ready. It should be here soon.”

Mindy grinned excitedly as she picked up her purse and followed Danny out of the apartment.


	11. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny puts his best foot forward

Danny and Mindy exited the theater with a throng of other patrons. Navigating out of the packed theater took a long time. Danny found himself shielding Mindy from some of the more impatient people behind them. You would think people shelling out money for great seats at a popular Broadway show would have more manners. He was doing his best to keep the annoyed Long Islander from coming out for a visit. He didn’t want to ruin their date by allowing his temper to flare. However, he discreetly threw a few elbows.

He was grateful as their group finally spilled out onto the sidewalk in front of the theater. The chattering of the crowd and heavy traffic on the street made it almost impossible to hear but he didn’t mind. The smile on Mindy’s face made it worth coming out of his comfort zone.

As they walked away from the theater Mindy asked, “Are you going to tell me about the other surprise?”

She was very curious seeing as he had been unusually tightlipped about the whole evening. This was definitely a side to Dr. Castellano that Mindy had never seen but was greatly enjoying.

Danny tried to hide his smug smile. He was building up to something big and he had worked hard to plan the perfect night. Mindy was in love with romantic comedies. She liked grand gestures and he was trying his hardest to give her one. “We are going to dinner at Fiorello’s it is just around the corner. I thought that we could walk. It is a nice night after all.”

Mindy thought her jaw might hang open permanently. It was one of the trendiest restaurants in the city and celebrities and professional athletes often frequented it. Moreover, it wasn’t unusual for photographers to camp outside the restaurant to snap pictures of who celebrities were dining with each night.

“How did you get us into Fiorello’s? That place is usually booked solid. I have wanted to eat there for months.”

It was completely against type for Danny to eat at an expensive restaurant. He thought it was a waste of money when he could cook something at home that he would probably like more. She knew this was her benefit and it made her love him even more. From the moment he turned up in Haiti, Danny had been going out of his way to show her a different side. Perhaps he had always been showing this side but she was too distracted to see it. Either way she was in love with this man.

Danny said, “Jeremy knows the chef. Although, we should probably enjoy this meal because after he stops seeing her I doubt we will ever get another table there. And if we did I’m not sure we’d want to eat the food.”

He had everything planned perfectly. Danny had even spent more time than he would like to admit talking to Jeremy about the right wine to pick with dinner. He knew that Mindy cared about things like that.

Mindy sought out Danny’s hand as they walked and said, “This has been an amazing night so far. Thank you for doing all of this, Danny. I love you.”

Danny felt his chest tighten a little when Mindy gripped his hand. Being with Mindy made him want to try in a way that he never really did with Christina. His ex-wife tried to change him by belittling him and making him feel very alone in their marriage. Mindy teased Danny but it was usually good-natured. Moreover, her desire for Danny to step out of his comfort zone was more about improving his quality of life than her own selfish motivations. She truly wanted Danny to be happy and now he was.

He pressed a kiss to her temple since they were walking. “Well, I wanted to do something special for you. I know that you are nervous about going back to work tomorrow.”

She huffed, “I am not.” Mindy chewed her lip slightly.

Danny smiled and kissed her cheek. He said, “You are worried that Dr. Leotard has taken your place. We work with the equivalent of goldfish, Mindy. They forget the last thing and move on to the next before they make it all the way around the fish bowl. Just be yourself and they will love you as much as I do. Well, maybe not just as much but close.”

“You can be such a soft touch when you try.”

He blushed a little and then chuckled. “If you tell anyone I’ll pretend I don’t know what you mean.”

Mindy shook her head, “I wouldn’t want to tell anyone. I like having this secret version of you all to myself. You can be Grumpy Danny with everyone else.”

He asked, “Did you just call me Grumpy Danny? Is that anyway related to Grumpy Cat?”

She laughed, “How do you know about Grumpy Cat? I didn’t take you for a person that pays attention to internet memes.”  

“I don’t but Morgan sends them to me through e-mail and text messages.”

Mindy smiled but didn’t say anything.

The pair walked in silence to Fiorello’s and Danny tired to stop himself from getting anxiety sweats. He stifled a chuckle thinking about the type of couple they made. Danny sweated profusely when he was anxious and Mindy became nauseous when she was anxious. He felt sorry for their future children who would most likely be sweaty and prone to vomiting under pressure.

As they approached the restaurant Mindy gushed, “Look the paparazzi are waiting outside. There must be someone famous here tonight!”

Danny smiled and walked into the restaurant with her.

The host smiled warmly. “Welcome to Fiorello’s. Do you have a reservation with us tonight?”

“Yes, I booked a table for two under the name Dr. Castellano.”

The man scanned the computer and then looked up. “Your table is ready, Dr. Castellano. Please follow me.” He picked up two menus and led the couple across the restaurant to cozy table

 Danny pulled out Mindy’s chair and she had a seat.

The host said, “Your server will be with you shortly.”

Mindy gasped looking across the room. “Danny!”

He looked up from the menu and asked, “What’s wrong?”

 “She was in that sports movie you made me watch. It is an actual celebrity! I want to Instagram this moment so bad but that would make me that fan.”

Danny chuckled softly. “Maybe you can sneak a snapshot on your way to the bathroom.”

Mindy followed his gaze and saw that she could probably take a discreet picture from the corridor leading to the restaurant’s restrooms. “Were you a stalker in a past life?”

“No, I was just very good at Geometry in high school. It’s all about the angles.”

Mindy said, “Oh no.”

Danny looked up from his menu again. “Is she leaving already?”

“No. Christina’s here.”

Danny looked around the room and spotted his ex-wife in the middle of dinner with a man he didn’t recognize. He felt like someone had stuck a safety pin into his balloon. He didn’t care that Christina was dating someone. Danny was upset that he had the misfortune of choosing this restaurant on the night she was there. This was supposed to be about his relationship with Mindy.

“I’m sorry, Min. We can leave if you want to. I understand this is probably awkward for you.”

“Are you insane? I’m not leaving Fiorello’s because of her unless this is awkward for you. Do you want to leave Danny? I won’t hold it against you. Tonight has already been amazing.”

Mindy would be incredibly disappointed but she knew the sting of running into an ex-boyfriend unexpectedly. She had to imagine it was worse running into an ex-spouse.

Danny’s smile returned. “I have no interest in leaving. I don’t care the Christina is here. I’m here with you. You’re the only person I want to be here with tonight. You’re the only person I would bring here.”

Despite Christina looming in the background Danny and Mindy managed to have an amazing dinner. They laughed and talked about everything from popular culture to work. Mindy loved the passion Danny exuded when he discussed expanding Shulman & Associates in the coming years. It was nice to hear Danny to talk about the future – their future.

They were enjoying dessert when Danny said, “Mindy, there is something that I want to ask you.”

Mindy was focused on the complicated and incredibly tasty chocolate masterpiece in front of her. She asked, “What is it?”

Danny chuckled a little. He knew he should have asked Mindy this before dessert. He didn’t have her full attention. “Min, I know tomorrow is our 3 month anniversary.”

She perked up and looked at him. “You remembered?”

“Do I remember the day I flew to Haiti to find you? I don’t think it is likely that I will ever forget.”

She smiled. “Danny…is this my anniversary gift? I didn’t know we were celebrating. I would have got something for you.”

Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box. He opened the box to reveal to white gold diamond hoop earrings. “I don’t want anything.”

Mindy squealed and took the box. “Danny! These are perfect.” She took the earrings out of the box, took off her earrings, and put on the new ones. Mindy took out her compact to look at her reflection. “Danny, I really should have bought something for you.”

“I don’t want anything, Min. There is something in the box. Look underneath the thing the earrings were on.”

She glanced at him and then lifted up with satin covered cardboard to find a key. Mindy blinked and stared at it before shifting her attention to Danny.

Danny said, “I want you to move in with me, Mindy. I know we were worried about moving too fast but I don’t think we’re moving fast enough. I know that I love you. I know that I want to be with you. That isn’t going to change.”

Mindy said, “Danny, I….”

“Listen, I understand if you don’t want to move into my place because it is mine instead of ours, but I willing to find a new place as long as it means I’m with you every day and every night.”

She grinned. “I wasn’t objecting, Danny. Yes, I’ll move in with you. Your place is much nicer.”

Danny grinned and said, “Yeah it is.”

Mindy leaned across the table and kissed him. “I love you, too. We are going to celebrate when we get back home. Lots of naked stuff.” She took his hand and looked into his eyes.

“Now that is my kind of gift,” Danny quipped

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	12. Say Goodnight, Mindy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Mindy have a little fun after their date.

Danny walked into his bedroom carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He could hear his shower running and knew that Mindy was still freshening up. Danny’s eyes scanned the room making sure that everything was perfect.

Candles placed strategically around his bedroom.

Check.

Diana Krall’s sultry voice crooning in the background.

Check.

Rose petals on the bed.

Check.

Godiva chocolate on the nightstand.

Lastly, he was carrying the pièce de résistance a bottle of Bollinger champagne.

He couldn’t have been happier with the way their date went. Sometimes his romantic gestures fell a little flat. He had the tendency to be too pragmatic and practical to properly sweep a woman off her feet. Most women didn’t enjoy a sensible courtship. He was perfectly happily ordering take out and watching a movie on NetFlix.

Despite his reservations about his dulled sense of romance, he had planned for weeks to make this night perfect for Mindy. She deserved a perfect night out on the town. He wanted her to know that he truly did love her. Their relationship wasn’t some quirk of fate. They weren’t in love because Danny showed up in Haiti like a knight in shining armor. Danny went to Haiti because he was in love with Mindy. He was just too stubborn or stupid to admit to it before hand.

He heard the shower turn off and realized that Mindy would be arriving soon. Danny opened the bottle of champagne. He decided it was better to do it without Mindy present. They had a tendency for cartoonish mishaps to happen when they were together. Mindy taking a cork to the eye would end their romantic interlude before it even began.

He poured two glasses of champagne and placed the bottle in a shiny bucket on his nightstand.

Mindy walked into the room wearing a simple black satin nightgown. The nightgown was floor length but had a slit that reached all the way up to Mindy’s thigh. The cups of the nightgown were made of lace and were see-through.

Danny’s mouth opened but no words came out. He stared in appreciation before finally picking up their glasses of champagne and finding his voice. “You look hot, Min.”

She smirked and said, “I know.” Her eyes widened seeing the glass of champagne he was offering her. “Champagne, too?”

Danny said, “I thought a little champagne was the best way to end our night.”

Mindy’s eyes flitted around the darkened room and her smile brightened. “I think you have a little more than champagne in mind.”

He kissed her softly. “Can you blame me?”

She shook her head. “I’ve been wanting to jump you since you asked me to move in with you. I just didn’t think a classy place like Fiorello’s could handle all of this…”

Danny chuckled darkly and moved in to kiss her neck. “That’s a view I wouldn’t have wanted to share anyway.”

Mindy giggled quietly and took a sip of the champagne. “Oooh…this is the good stuff.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t know what to buy so I asked Jeremy what to buy. I figured he’d know what was good and what was just expensive trash. Apparently, you can’t go wrong with Bollinger.”

She too another sip and shook her head. “No, you can never go wrong with Bollinger.” Mindy sat on the bed and picked up a handful of rose petals. “You did all of this while I was in the shower?”

“Well, I had everything ready to go just in case you said yes to moving in with me. Aren’t you glad you said yes?”

Mindy grinned. “I’m a lucky girl for so many reasons.”

Danny placed his glass on the nightstand and got on his knees in front of her. He took Mindy’s face in his hands and kissed her softly. “I’m so happy that you said yes. I like waking up next to you every morning, even when you snore.”

Her mouth widened in shock and she lightly slapped his bare chest. “I do not snore Danny Castellano.”

He smirked, “Oh, you snore. You sound like a bear.”

“A cute baby bear, right? Like a teeny tiny bear.” She pouted pitifully.

Danny kissed her again. “The smallest bear that ever lived.”

“Liar…”

He shrugged. “I think it’s cute. I love everything about you Mindy. I promise.”

Tears began to well in Mindy’s eyes and she playfully slapped his chest. “I already said yes to moving in so stop trying to romance me. You are totally getting laid tonight.”

Danny waggled his eyebrows and said, “Jeremy agreed to cover my patients tonight just in case someone goes into labor a little early. There will be no interruptions. It’ll just be the two of us. All. Night. Long.”

Mindy snorted. “You’re not going to make it all night long old man, but I’d love to see you try.”

He kissed a trail up her leg and stopped where the slit in her nightgown ended. “I propose a wager. The person that lasts the longest tonight gets to chose one thing they really want to do and we do it.”

Mindy worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she considered the offer. “What do you have in mind?”

Danny leaned in and whispered into her ear.

Mindy’s eyes widened and she sat back with a shocked look on her face. “Danny!”

He shrugged and asked, “What does it matter if I’m not going to last all night anyway? You’re playing with house money right now…you are younger and you obviously have more stamina than I do.”

She jutted her chin out feeling a bit cocky. Mindy was like her own three ring circus in the bedroom. They’d been taking things easy because of her injured arm but she was completely healed now and could show Danny just what she was made of. She said, “You’re on, Castellano.”

He stroked Mindy’s thigh with an innocent look on his face. “What’s your wager?”

Her brows furrowed as she contemplated what her reward would be **_when_** she won the bet.  Suddenly her lips curled into an impish grin. “I think it’ll be more interesting if you don’t know what my stakes are…do you agree?”

Danny slid her nightgown higher and placed a kiss on her upper thigh. “Mmm hmm. It’ll be very interesting and I trust you implicitly. Now lay back…there is something I’ve been wanting to do all night.”

Mindy asked, “What?”

He put a hand on her stomach and pushed her down gently on the bed. He bunched her nightgown up over her hips and smiled appreciatively.

Mindy let out a surprised squeak, which was followed by a moan when she felt his tongue exploring her folds. “Danny!”

Danny laughed softly against her skin as he continued his exploration.


	13. House of Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindy and Danny experience their version of 'afterglow'.

Danny laid in the bed with his hands behind his head as the sun started to shine through his windows. He was completely naked but made no move to cover himself. He was feeling quite smug and definitely victorious. Danny couldn’t have looked more smug unless there were naked women at his bedside fanning him with palm fronds and feeding him grapes.

Mindy on the other hand was in some strange contorted position with a leg hanging half out of the bed with the sheet covering her body. Her formerly gorgeous hair was a sweaty mess and was currently sticking to her face. She was supposed to be getting up to go to the bathroom but her muscles were in no condition to complete such an ambitious action.

Mindy might be a full three ring circus but apparently Danny was a lion tamer. She still wasn’t sure how he managed to fold her body into so many different positions. Mindy lost count of her orgasms somewhere around the fifth. The night was a blur of fingers, mouths, lips, and toys. There were toys! Straight laced, crossword puzzle loving, reading glasses wearing Daniel Castellano owned sex toys! That was enough to make a girl lightheaded but then he went on to use those tools like Michelangelo used a paintbrush.

Danny looked over hearing Mindy mutter something. “Did you say something, Min?”

She turned her head in his direction, the look of euphoria evident on her face. “You won.”

Danny smirked. “I’m afraid I didn’t hear you…”

She groaned and forced her body to roll in his direction.

Danny picked up an empty can of whip cream and tossed it onto the floor. He took pity on his exhausted partner and pulled her across the bed so that she was against his side. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Better?”

Mindy nodded and rested her head against his chest.

“Now you were saying something about our wager?”

She laughed softly and playfully bit his nipple. “I said that you won. You won the damn bet. Are you happy?”

Daniel smoothed his hand down her abdomen and then moved lower. “Yes, I am quite happy. Aren’t you?”

Mindy hissed and batted his hand away.

He chuckled and said, “I’m sorry. Are you sore? I can kiss it and make you feel better.”

She rolled her eyes. “My lady parts ache and my knees have rug burn. Sexually sated Danny is sort of a son of a bitch.”

Danny thought about it a moment. “You might be right but I like you like me.” He kissed her and moved to get out of the bed.

Mindy whined. “Where are you going? Come back to bed. I want to snuggle.”

“To make you breakfast of course. My girlfriend has rug burns and sore lady parts, the least I can do is make her breakfast in bed. You stay here and I’ll go cook breakfast.” He pressed another kiss to her forehead before grabbing his gray robe and walking out of the room.

She called after him. “Make sure you wash your hands!”

He chortled. “Why? It isn’t anything you haven’t already had in your mouth.”

Mindy screeched. “Dannnnnnyyyy!”

“Relax! I’m going to wash my hands, Min. I am a doctor after all!”

He walked into the kitchen and his first stop was to wash his hands. Afterward he opened the refrigerator and stared for a moment. He groaned and realized Mindy was rubbing off on him. Before they started dating, he never stared aimlessly in to the refrigerator as if something would jump out at him and say ‘cook me!’

Finally, he made up his mind and started gathering the ingredients for a breakfast feast. Danny found that it didn’t take quite so long to make breakfast without Mindy underfoot. She was always in the way or distracting him but Danny didn’t mind. He liked spending quiet time with her. She was even starting to pick up some cooking skills.

When Danny finished cooking breakfast, he put everything on a tray and carried it into his bedroom. He smiled seeing that Mindy was actually up. He had briefly wondered if she’d fallen asleep in his absence.

Danny smiled seeing that she was wearing one of his well-worn t-shirts. Mindy had washed her face and tamed her hair. She always looked beautiful to him. He spotted the half eaten box of Godiva next to her.

“Breakfast is served.”

Mindy’s eyes lit up. “Chocolate chip pancakes? You hate chocolate chip pancakes.”

He chuckled and placed the tray on the bed after sitting down. “I don’t hate them. In any case, I made blueberry for me.”

Mindy’s hand shot out and grabbed a piece of bacon. She made a pleased little sound in the back of her throat as she bit into it. “Bacon, you are the only one I love.”

Danny laughed and took a sip of his coffee. “Should I leave you and the bacon alone?”

Mindy whispered to the half-eaten piece of bacon. “He’s just jealous because he knows if both of you were drowning…I’d save you.”

He shook his head and poured a little syrup onto his pancakes.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Mindy pursed her lips and scowled. “Do we have to stick to the deal?”

Danny pretended to be wounded. “You wouldn’t be trying to welsh on our best would you?”

She muttered. “No. Stupid bet. Stupid Danny and his secret drawer of naughty stuff. I swear that stuff wasn’t there before!”

He laughed harder. “You admit to snooping?” Danny found it funny because he knew Mindy was one of those girls. She wanted to know everything about her boyfriends, which mean she’d already played Nancy Drew in his apartment while he was at work.

Mindy blinked and then shrugged as she ate a forkful of eggs. She said, “I’m a girl…you knew I was going to look through your stuff. Where did it come from…Danny?”

He smirked. “I bought them last week.”

She gasped. “You walked into a sex shop?”

He nodded. “Sure…I was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses but…yeah.”

Mindy laughed and shook her head. “You probably looked like a total perv! All you were missing was a trench coat and they would have thought you were a flasher. I would have paid to see that.”

Danny smirked. “Next time you can come with me. Now…it’s time to settle up.”

He got out of the bed and walked into the living room. He came back with his laptop. He placed it in front of her and pulled up NetFlix. He smirked. “Are you ready to watch House of Cards?”

She groaned. “It is going to be so boring, Danny!”

“You promised.”

“Why couldn’t you have just asked for a threesome or anal sex like a normal guy?”

He said, “A threesome sounds like more work than I’m interested in and if I remember the night correctly we’ve already…”

Mindy huffed. “Shut up and push play, Castellano. Just shut up and push play.”

 

 

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone that stuck around for the ending. I'm sorry for the taking so long. R/L got in the way in a very big way.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have a beta so if you see any glaring mistakes please let me know. I've gone back and fixed a few that I have noticed.


End file.
